Heart of Darkness
by zephyrocity
Summary: You cannot love that which you do not understand. Sango and Sesshoumaru learn this lesson the hard way.
1. One

**Disclaimer:** _Inuyasha _belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and associated publishers/licensers.**  
****Summary: **Sango finally gets sick of Miroku's lecherous ways, and she storms off. On her own, she fights a giant bear demon and loses. She goes and collapses in the woods, badly injured. Guess who finds her? Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Jaken. Rin pleads with Sesshoumaru to help Sango, and he (grudgingly) agrees. One thing leads to another, and suddenly Sango and Sesshoumaru are at each other's throats.

_**Heart of Darkness**_  
_part one_

"_**H**__IRAIKOTSU!"_ Sango bellowed as she threw her weapon with as much force as she could muster. At the same moment as when the giant bone flew through the air, Sango leapt up and delivered a mighty kick to the bear youkai's forehead. It stumbled, but did not fall. Instead, it whipped out its hand and caught Sango in mid air. Moving with terrible speed, it flung the taiji-ya down toward the ground with astonishing force.

Far below her, Miroku yelped in surprise and ran to catch her. She landed safely in his arms, but under the weight, the monk crashed to the ground.

"Thank you, houshi-sama," Sango said gratefully.

"It's quite fine, Sango," Miroku said pleasantly. His hand was stretching toward her butt as he said this, but Sango noticed.

SMACK!

"_Thank you, _houshi-sama," Sango said pointedly, standing up and getting ready to attack again.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha roared, and the attack promptly obliterated the youkai with its demonic wind. The dust scattered, and floating peacefully to the ground was yet another shard of the Shikon-no-Tama.

"Yay!" From the side, Kagome and Shippo energetically jumped up and down in celebration of the victory.

Grinning despite himself, Inuyasha snatched the shard out of the dirt and brought it to Kagome. Sango and Miroku followed after a moment; the taiji-ya had been examining the youkai corpse to see if there was anything she could make a weapon out of, and Miroku had waited for her.

"Good job, guys!" Shippo chirped once the five were gathered again.

"Let's set up camp," Kagome suggested, smiling. "I bet you guys are exhausted."

Inuyasha simply shrugged, but Sango and Miroku offered grateful smiles.

"Where shall we set up camp?" Kagome asked, and as soon as the words had left her mouth Inuyasha began to lead them into the woods, into a clearing where you could no longer smell the scent of death. Once there, he leapt up into the nearest tree and sat there stubbornly.

"Okay then," Kagome said amiably, looking around the site, "we'll sleep here." She got out her sleeping bag from her backpack, and dropped to the ground. Shippo cuddled next to her, obviously content, and it was a moment before anything broke the silence that had settled over them like a blanket.

"Good night, Sango," Miroku whispered to taiji-ya placed not too far from him on the cold ground.

Sango blushed, and was thankful that the monk could not see her red face in the dark. "Goodnight, houshi-sama," she said, curling up with the comforting ball of fur that was Kirara by her head.

They were just settling down to sleep when the sound of frantic footfalls reached their ears. Then, into their campsite stumbled a girl. She must have been no older than seventeen, and her round, pale face was streaked with tears.

Kagome shot up, waking Shippo. Sango and Miroku had been awake for a long time, waiting, listening. Inuyasha peered down from above, uninterested.

Miroku immediately got up and clasped the weeping girl's hands in his. "What is wrong, miss?"

With Kirara on her shoulder, Sango followed, keeping an eye on the perverted monk. "Yes, why are you crying?"

"M-my father was killed! By a bear youkai!" the girl sobbed, and couldn't stop herself from telling the whole story. "I—I'd been out all day, a-and when I got back to my village, everything was destroyed and my f-father was dead! The youkai was gone, but the remaining villagers told me what had h-happened!"

"Oh, dear," Kagome, who had just joined them, said, putting a hand to her mouth.

_Another bear youkai? _Sango thought to herself. _That's strange._ But she said nothing more than, "That's horrible," as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Yes, is there anything we can do?" Miroku asked, keeping the pretty girl's hands in a tight hold.

She tried to pull out of his grasp, a little bewildered by the fact that he seemed to have more on his mind then her dead father and the sudden influx of bear youkai. "Sir," she whispered, her face red as she pulled away.

"I have a question, Miss…" Miroku said beguilingly, as he put the hand that had been banished from her hand onto her shoulder.

"R-Ryomi…"

Behind the two, Sango was furious. Kagome, who knew if Sango were released she would tear her precious monk to shreds, was holding her back.

"Will you bear my child?" Miroku asked seriously.

Ryomi reddened and squeaked, "Sir, I—"

Sango's hands curled into angry fists, and her face flushed an angry red. She effortlessly broke out of Kagome's hold and charged toward Miroku, whirling him around with one arm as the other punched him in the face without holding back at all.

Shocked, Ryomi glanced between the fallen monk and the furious girl.

Looking down at Miroku, Sango's anger turned to sorrow. She recalled that time, not long ago, when he had said that she was the one woman he truly cared about; when he practically asked her for her hand in marriage. Had he been joking? Looking down at him, barely conscious but still smiling crookedly at Ryomi, she felt as if everything had been a lie.

Then, more anger clouded the sorrow, and Sango screamed at Miroku before she could stop herself, "I hate you! _I hate you!_" Then, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the forest. Kirara, a little puzzled, followed obediently.

Miroku shot up into a sitting position, knocking the extremely confused Ryomi aside. "Sango…" he whispered, obviously horrified. "You… you _hate_ me?"

Inuyasha jumped down beside them all, giving Ryomi quite a fright, as she had not known that he was there. "You've really done it this time. She's not gonna forgive you again," he declared.

Kagome closed her eyes in sheer defeat, totally astounded by Inuyasha's bluntness. "Sit, boy!" she said loudly, smiling in satisfaction when Inuyasha crashed to the ground.

Ryomi looked around in absolute confusion, a little frantic now. "_What_ is going on?"

"Stupid lech," Inuyasha said simply, getting back on his feet with a little difficulty and pulling twigs out of his hair.

Miroku wasn't listening to any of them anymore. He had gotten up and was stumbling, as if in a drunken stupor, in the direction Sango had run away too.

Kagome stepped after him. "Miroku-sama?" she said hesitantly.

"Do you really think she hates me?" the monk asked.

"No, of course she doesn't, Miroku-sama," Kagome said, making a futile attempt to cheer him up. "Why don't we let her have some space, and go after her in the morning? She probably won't be angry then."

"No!" Miroku exclaimed fiercely. "Let's go find her now!"

Kagome rubbed her forehead tiredly. "You need sleep if you want to find her. Come on."

"Fine," Miroku said reluctantly. He allowed himself to be led to back to bed, and they found that Ryomi was nowhere to be seen, and Inuyasha and Shippo were already asleep again.

To Kagome's surprise, she saw that Inuyasha had not gone back up the tree, but had fallen asleep leaning against the trunk. The futuristic miko crept up to him and brushed a lock of silvery hair out of his face, peering at him fondly. His expression was peaceful, similar to the expression he had worn when Kagome found him pinned to the tree. "Beautiful," she breathed.

"Eh-hem!" Miroku cleared his throat loudly, and Kagome jumped away from Inuyasha.

"Er… uhm…" Kagome, on impulse, cried, "Sit, boy!" Inuyasha hit the ground with a loud crash, and Kagome covered her mouth with her hand, horrified that that had slipped out purely by accident.

"Owww," Inuyasha growled. He stood, towering over Kagome. "_What_ was that for?"

"It… it was an accident," Kagome squeaked.

"Feh," Inuyasha muttered. He scowled at her and hopped up into the upper branches of the tree. "Stupid wench."

oOo

Sango stumbled through the forest, refusing to cry. She had seen the shock pass across Miroku's face when she had told him that she hated him. And she had gotten satisfaction from that look of utmost horror. Now he felt the pain that she felt every time he flirted with a girl that wasn't herself. She hid that pain with the cover of anger, and the only one who saw through her charade was Kagome.

"Kirara?" Sango called softly. The small cat youkai, striding patiently along beside Sango, made a mewing sound and looked up at her, and Sango continued, "Shall we sleep? Tomorrow, I… well, I don't know if I'll be able to face houshi-sama…"

Kirara blinked attentively, as if she had understood every word.

"Oh, Kirara…" Sango murmured, squatting down and stroking her fur. "Thank you for sticking by me. I'm grateful." The taiji-ya then stood up and was about to walk on when she heard screams and throaty growling noises—that of a youkai. Kirara quickly changed into her larger form, Sango mounted her, and they leapt into the sky, following the noise. Soon, they found a village under attack by yet another bear youkai, and this one was huge; it had taken out a whole set of houses in one swoop of its arm.

Sango jumped off Kirara and landed deftly on the ground. _"Hiraikotsu!"_ she shouted, hurling the giant boomerang at the creature. The bone struck the target, but the bear youkai merely turned around as if the weapon had not just lodged itself in the its side, wrenched the bone out with a sickening crunch, and flung Sango's weapon back at her. "It didn't hurt it," Sango gasped, to Kirara. But still, the taiji-ya was determined to defeat this foe, and she knew she could find a weak spot. "There!" she exclaimed after mere moments of searching, having spotted a deep wound on its left shoulder that it must have received from an attempted attack beforehand.

Carefully, she aimed her weapon, but, before she could throw it, one of the youkai's claws caught her on the arm and tossed her aside. Sango hit the ground hard, and pain told her that she had not escaped unharmed. Expecting the worst, she glanced at her shoulder and found it to be a bloody, bleeding mess. In the upper arm, there was a deep cut that, she suspected, had almost severed her arm. The taiji-ya was gushing torrents of blood, and she knew she had to stem the flow of blood; otherwise she might die of blood loss.

Sango ripped part of her kimono off and wrapped it tightly around her arm. It hurt, yes, it hurt like hell, but it would have to do for now. Determined to kill, or at least injure this creature, Sango threw the boomerang once more. It hit its mark and the bear youkai crashed to the ground. The taiji-ya thought it was defeated, but then, suddenly, a paw whipped around and pinned her to the ground. She could not breathe; the huge thing was crushing her. Sango was just starting to lose consciousness when Kirara clamped onto the collar of her kimono and dragged her out from under the bear's paw.

"Thanks, Kirara," Sango rasped, barely conscious. She knew her ribs were broken. "The youkai… it will lie there for a while… now it's important to just… rest." Sango managed to walk to a shaded spot in the woods. "Heh," she muttered, wobbling and resisting the urge to vomit. "I guess I'm not as strong as I thought." Then, she collapsed in the grass, unconscious.

oOo

Not far off, the dark-haired girl-child Rin ambled along, singing happily a song about Jaken, who was following close behind, skeptical as always of Rin's carefree attitude. The taiyoukai Sesshoumaru came last, silent and somber.

Suddenly, Rin gasped and ran forward.

"Rin! Rin! Where are you going?" croaked Jaken. "Come back!"

Frowning, Sesshoumaru swept past the reptilian youkai, moving quickly toward the young human girl.

"Milord! Come back!" Jaken cried, running after them. He tripped over a rock and fell flat on his face, allowing his companions to disappear further into the woods. "No!" he shouted desperately, sprinting after them. "Wait for meee!"

But Rin had stopped next to a young woman lying in blood-soaked grass. A small, cute-looking feline youkai stood next to her, but when Rin came close, the creature grew larger and became quite formidable indeed. The youkai growled menacingly at the little girl, and Rin took a frightened step back.

Sesshoumaru walked up to stand next to Rin, and the young human hid behind him, crowing, "Sesshoumaru-sama," she tugged on his sleeve and pointed to the girl in the grass, "that girl is hurt!"

Sesshoumaru observed the valiant cat youkai and the injured woman lying unconscious on the ground. Then, suddenly, he recognized her. She traveled with his stupid hanyou half-brother, Inuyasha. If he remembered correctly, she was a successful taiji-ya. Her name was Sango.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! That girl will die if we leave her here! Please! Can we take her with us?" Rin pleaded.

"No, Rin," Sesshoumaru said firmly.

"Oh, please, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin implored, and Sesshoumaru consented with a sigh.

Reluctantly, the taiyoukai picked up Sango (completely ignoring the snarling Kirara) and continued walking. He did not notice the piece of cloth that had been tied around her arm falling to the ground, and kept moving. Sesshoumaru knew there was an abandoned village nearby; they could tend to her wounds and then leave her there. She could then make her way back to the scum she traveled with.

Soon they arrived at the ghost of a town; the houses were all plundered, obviously by demons. Rin dashed into the first house that was not a complete wreck, and Sesshoumaru followed her in there. He lay Sango down on a thin straw futon and sent a grumbling Jaken to search for medicine.

"Isn't she pretty, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked as they both looked down on Sango.

Sesshoumaru was silent as he looked at Sango's face. There was a long pause, but eventually Sesshoumaru said curtly, "She is human." His expression was one of disgust, but his golden eyes betrayed him. In truth, he was not repulsed by this dying human; he was intrigued. This confused him, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Just then, Sesshoumaru realized Rin had been talking. His attention darted back to her, eyes focusing on the girl's huge, innocent brown eyes.

"Rin is human, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin exclaimed, frowning up at him.

"Yes, but you are different."

"No, Rin is not!" Rin protested. She let silence reign for a couple minutes and then she repeated her question, "Isn't she pretty?"

Sesshoumaru was silent. But then one thought flitted across his mind. It was what he truly felt, beyond his initial feeling of disgust for humans and their weaknesses. _Yes, she is pretty. But she is also human._

Finally, Jaken arrived back armed with bandages and other medicines to help Sango's poor condition. "Here, Milord," Jaken said, dropping the remedies at his lord's feet with a sigh of relief.

Wordlessly, Sesshoumaru bandaged Sango as best he could and applied the proper creams and other helpful things to her wounds. When they were done, Sesshoumaru stood up and said, "Now we leave."

Rin wasn't about to obey. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama! We have to stay till she wakes up," she explained firmly. "Besides," she yawned, "I'm really tired."

Sesshoumaru sighed. He sat down against the wall and Rin curled up beside him, instantly asleep. Jaken opened his mouth to say something, but the taiyoukai glared at him and Jaken decided against talking.

oOo

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin whispered. "The pretty lady is waking up!"

Sesshoumaru woke with a start. _I fell asleep? What has possessed me on this day? _he thought, angrily.

"Look, look!" Rin took her lord's arm and all but dragged him over to where Sango was. The taiyoukai saw that the taiji-ya was indeed stirring.

"What? Where am I?" Sango asked once she awoke properly, and looked around. Her eyes fell on Sesshoumaru and she breathed, "It's you…"

Sesshoumaru immediately stood up, towering over Sango. "Where is my nuisance of a half-brother?" he snarled.

"I—I don't know," she admitted. They could be anywhere by now, but secretly she hoped they were waiting for her, back at the campsite.

"What do you mean you don't know?" piped in the annoyingly piercing voice of Jaken. "You travel with them, don't you, wench?"

The taiji-ya shot Jaken a dirty look but admitted, "I ran away… and fought the bear youkai. Then you found me, I suppose, passed out in the dirt."

No one affirmed or denied her guess, and suddenly the Rin exclaimed energetically, "Hi! I'm Rin!"

"H-hello," Sango said, surprised that Sesshoumaru seemed to have a charge that was a mere human child—for she had never seen Rin up close, and had always assumed she was a young youkai. Inuyasha had told her this was wrong long ago, but Sango had been somewhat reluctant to believe his words. Sesshoumaru did, after all, hate humans. "You travel with," she motioned toward Sesshoumaru, "him?"

"With Sesshoumaru-sama? Yes, Rin does! Sesshoumaru-sama made Rin live again!"

The taiji-ya sitting in front of the girl started in surprise and turned to the taiyoukai. "You resurrected her?" Sango asked curiously.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru said curtly, all the while wondering why he was even lowering himself enough to talk to a human—one that was not Rin—and a taiji-ya at that. "Let's go, Rin. Jaken."

"Wait!" Sango exclaimed then, leaning forward and stopping the three at the exit. Sesshoumaru turned around, as did Jaken, who was fairly frothing at the mouth with annoyance. Rin whirled around too, still grinning from ear to ear. "I… wanted to thank you. You tended to my wounds. I am very grateful."

Sesshoumaru didn't respond, but he, Rin, and Jaken turned back toward the door.

"Wait!" Sango repeated.

Sesshoumaru didn't turn around again, but it was obvious he was still listening.

"I never told Rin my name—"

"It's Sango," Sesshoumaru cut in flatly. "Rin, her name is Sango." They left, and Sango stared after them, one thought running through her mind.

_How did he know my name?_

oOo

Sango stepped out of the cottage a few minutes later with Kirara at her side, fully clothed, fully energized, but not quite fully healed. She was, however, feeling better, and at this the taiji-ya smiled and was about to say something to Kirara when the feline youkai grew into her full form and tensed.

"Kirara!" Sango said, surprised. "What is it?" It was obvious Kirara wanted Sango to get on, and the taiji-ya mounted the youkai carefully—as to not aggravate her injuries—and they took off. Kirara knew where she was going, but Sango didn't, and she gripped Kirara's ruff and asked softly, "Is it Kohaku, Kirara? Do you sense Kohaku?"

Kirara gave a ferocious meow that couldn't be determined as either a yes or a no in response, and soon landed. In the trees, Sango saw her little brother. "Kohaku!" she cried. He turned toward her and Sango saw Naraku's Saimyousho around him. So he was still under Naraku's control, and now Sango saw that his eyes were dark and dull. She ran toward him, hopping through the trees, when suddenly, something grabbed both his and her attention.

Sango reached the ground under the tree that Kohaku was perched on, and saw someone had beat her to it! It was Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken.

"What are you doing here?" Sango cried, coming to a stop next to Rin.

"Yay! Sango-sama!" Rin squealed, pleased.

"I have to kill that boy," Sesshoumaru said, though it was not as if he was answering Sango.

Rin grew serious then; she whirled around to face her lord and pleaded, "No! Sesshoumaru-sama, please don't kill Kohaku!"

"You are not going to hurt my brother!" Sango said fiercely, inwardly wondering why Rin was so animated. As far as she knew—Kagome had told her this—Kohaku had tried to kill the child; why would Rin want him to be saved if that was the case?

"Your brother?" Jaken wondered aloud.

"Huh," Sesshoumaru said, boredly. He motioned with his hand toward the boy as Kohaku had readied his weapon. "Look, taiji-ya. If I do not kill him, he will kill you." Kohaku was about to leap off the branch to where Sango stood, defenseless, and the young woman saw this with a twinge of hurt. Thus, she was off-guard a moment later when he jumped toward her. His mind was yelling at him to stop, but his body wouldn't obey.

_Please no I don't want to fight her oh please no run please…!_

"Kohaku! No! Stop! Please!" Sango shouted as she tried to protect herself with her arms, weaponless. Instinctively, she closed her eyes.

But then, when she should have felt her little brother's blade in her heart, she felt nothing and heard the clang of metal against metal. She peeked open an eye and saw Sesshoumaru had jumped in front of her and blocked Kohaku's weapon.

_Why did he save me?_

"You tried to kill Rin," Sesshoumaru growled. "Die, boy." He charged forward and struck at Kohaku, but the boy deftly blocked it, Naraku's skill and influence controlling his movements to make him a capable fighter.

"No! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried.

"Stop it!" Sango shrieked. "You'll kill him!"

"Do not forget; he tried to kill you," Sesshoumaru reminded the taiji-ya calmly as he threw off another of Kohaku's attacks as easily as if Kohaku had attacked him with a lone blade of grass.

"No! Stop!" Just Sango leapt onto Sesshoumaru's back and held on for dear life. This threw Sesshoumaru off balance and left him open and defenseless.

Kohaku went in to strike, but Sesshoumaru flung himself and Sango aside, into the bushes. Jaken distracted Kohaku by waving the Staff of Two Heads, so the boy couldn't attack Sesshoumaru, who was picking himself up out of the dirt, his eyes dark with fury.

Sango still lay on the ground where they had fallen, knowing what was in store for her.

Sesshoumaru was fairly purple with rage. Neither Rin nor Jaken had seen him this angry before. "Idiot human!" the taiyoukai roared. "You could have gotten me killed with your actions!" The inuyoukai was fuming. If looks could kill, Sango would have been long dead and buried in the ground by then. "Stay there," he then ordered, and ventured out of the nest of trees to find Kohaku gone.

"The boy ran away. Naraku must have called to him," Jaken explained, frightened of the anger on Sesshoumaru's face.

As he tried to calm himself down, Sesshoumaru strode back to where Sango was sitting. "I could have killed that boy," Sesshoumaru snarled at her.

"I'm glad you didn't," Sango said.

Sesshoumaru was mildly shocked at the amount of relief in her voice, and said, "He tried to kill you. I had to _save_ you. He's under Naraku's control. Why do you still want him to live?"

"He's my brother," Sango said simply. _You…_ had _to save me? What?_

"He's a bastard," Sesshoumaru replied, turning his back on the girl. Suddenly, something very sharp hit him in the arm. Gently, he eased it out and saw it was a shuriken covered in his blood. "How dare you attack me when my back is turned," he said darkly, his voice dripping with malice.

"If you ever, ever call my brother a bastard again, I'll—"

"You'll what? You'll fight me, defeat me, and come out unscathed like you did when you fought that bear youkai?"

Sango felt as if Sesshoumaru had bitten her. She went to speak, but he wasn't done.

"Face it, taiji-ya. You can't fight and win even the easiest battle without the assistance of your worthless friends," Sesshoumaru growled.

Sango scowled at him, but then her composure crumbled, and she buried her face in her hands and took a deep, calming breath.

Sesshoumaru, in thinking that she was crying, was satisfied. He turned to leave, but Sango's voice rang out behind him and stopped him in his tracks.

"Sesshoumaru, you bastard. You know you are not as good as Inuyasha. InuTaishou knew you weren't good enough. There was a reason that Inuyasha inherited Tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru whirled around to strike her, but she caught his hand an inch from her face, her face blank. "Every time you and Inuyasha have fought, you have, in the end, lost, have you not? You have had to run away in defeat. Sesshoumaru, you say Inuyasha is so worthless and so weak… what does that make you?"

"Filthy human!" Sesshoumaru roared, rearing back and striking her. She didn't know even a quarter of his true power, and yet she made such ridiculous claims! He ought to kill the insolent human now, but…

…something stopped him.

Perhaps it was that at that moment, Rin and Jaken raced over. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin shrieked. "You hurt Sango-san!"

Sesshoumaru lost the lust for the taiji-ya's blood then, and just wanted to get out of there. "We're leaving," Sesshoumaru said curtly. "Come."

"You've admitted your defeat, Sesshoumaru," Sango said, her voice shaking. Her hand was on her red cheek, and she continued, "You know I am right. That is why you want to get away from me. That's right, isn't it?"

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws angrily. "Hold your tongue, taiji-ya, unless you think you can do without it."


	2. Two

_**Heart of Darkness  
**__part two_

**S**esshoumaru, Jaken and Rin left Sango in the forest, but, as they were walking away, Jaken exclaimed, "No! Wait! Milord, we should follow that taiji-ya!"

"What, Jaken?" Sesshoumaru sounded calm, but the taiyoukai had rounded on him, obviously furious.

"W-well," Jaken mumbled in a small voice, quaking, "it's just that… I bet she was lying when she said that she didn't know where Inuyasha-sama was! We could follow her, and then you can kill your brother! And I bet she'll lead us to the boy too—to Kohaku!"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a long time when suddenly he whirled around and walked back the way they had come. Soon, the three arrived at the place where Sango was still sitting in the flattened bushes, rubbing her sore cheek. "Taiji-ya."

Sango looked up, and her eyes narrowed.

"Tell me where Inuyasha is," Sesshoumaru growled, charging forward and grabbing her neck. He lifted her off the ground by the throat and squeezed.

Jaken shook his head. _Not exactly my plan, but…_

Sango struggled desperately; she couldn't breathe. Her hands clawed at the hand wrapped around her neck and she choked, "I—told you! I—don't know!" Then, her hand found a shuriken and she plunged deep inside Sesshoumaru's already injured arm.

He let go immediately, obviously in pain. Jerking the shuriken out, Sesshoumaru glowered at her. Blood dripped down his arm and he said, "This time, you will die." He backed up and drew his sword, the Tokijin.

"Stop! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin jumped in front of Sango. "Please, don't kill Sango-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sango stared in shock at the little girl who was, however unintentionally, buying time for her to get away. "Thank you," Sango muttered humbly, and, glaring at Sesshoumaru, took off on Kirara, who was ready for action nearby. They took off into the sky, but not before Sango threw one last shuriken. It would have hit Sesshoumaru in the face, but he deftly caught it.

The three watched the taiji-ya disappear, and there was a long silence. Finally, Jaken broke it by saying, "She's quite the feisty one, isn't she?"

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, but Rin swore on that day she saw a trace of a small smirk on his lips.

oOo

Meanwhile, at around the time that Sesshoumaru, Jaken and Rin found Sango, the search for said taiji-ya was just beginning. Miroku, Kagome and Shippo wandered throughout the forest nearby, calling Sango's name. Inuyasha didn't particularly care, well; he didn't care until Kagome threatened him. Then he helped with the search.

"Sango-chan! Sango-chan!" called Kagome repeatedly. She searched every bush, every tree, and every blade of grass for her friend. "Oh, where did you go, Sango-chan?" Kagome muttered dejectedly. "Miroku-sama is positively miserable without you."

oOo

"Sango! Sango!" called Miroku desperately. "Where are you?" he howled. Suddenly, Miroku spotted something strange through the dense foliage of evergreens. It was a deserted village and there, lying on the ground, covered in blood and dirt, was a giant bear youkai just beginning to stir. It was sorely injured, Miroku could tell. _Did Sango fight it? I wonder if she's hurt…_

Then Miroku noticed that the bear youkai had suddenly gotten up and was ready to kill. It lumbered toward him, knocking trees out of the way. Taking a step back, the monk saw a huge, bloody wound on its shoulder.

_Did Sango do that?_ "Inuyasha! Kagome-sama! Shippo!" They came to his side within seconds, and Shippo and Kagome backed away in fear. Inuyasha smiled and drew Tetsusaiga. He charged toward the youkai, but Miroku distracted him by yelling, "Its shoulder! Inuyasha, go for its left shoulder!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha turned toward the monk, only to be knocked aside by the youkai. "Owww!" Inuyasha growled, looking at his arm, which had, thankfully, only a flesh wound on it. "Look what you did, Miroku!" he yelped furiously.

"Sorry!" Miroku said. _I would use the Kazaana, but it's too dangerous…_

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha bellowed. The bear youkai managed to sidestep the attack, but it was hit full in the face by another, which Inuyasha had sent out the second when he saw that the first would miss. The demon was obliterated and Inuyasha made his way back to Kagome for some bandages.

Miroku, still wondering if Sango had fought this youkai, wandered into a clearing not too far from the others, ignoring Kagome and Shippo's cries. What he saw shocked him. The grass had been dyed red! As if someone had lain there while bleeding—or while dying. That thought horrified Miroku. _It couldn't have been Sango who lay here—could it?_ Then Miroku spotted something that confirmed his fears. Lying in the middle of the blood stained grass was a very bloody piece of Sango's kimono.

"Kagome-sama! Inuyasha! Shippo! Come here now!" Miroku bellowed urgently, rapidly becoming frantic. They raced over yet again and Miroku picked up the cloth. "Look," he whispered.

"So?" Inuyasha said.

"This is from Sango's kimono!" Miroku hissed. "It's _bloody_!"

Kagome grabbed the cloth out of Miroku's hands and her eyes watered. "Do you think Sango-chan is okay?" she whispered.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Well if that's bloody than most likely she's not—"

"_Sit!"_ Kagome barked. "You stupid, idiotic b—"

"We have to find her," Miroku said at once, interrupting Kagome before she could curse at the hanyou. His expression was pained as one thought alone ran through his mind: _This is my fault._

oOo

"That stupid youkai," Sango muttered. "Next time I see him, I'll kill him." Kirara gave a meow and Sango smiled. "Do you think maybe we should go and look for the others?" Then, Sango glanced down and saw, following her swiftly on the ground, were Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken. "Oh, no!" she moaned. "They're following me!"

They are after me to get Inuyasha…

Sango shook her fist at the youkai below and shouted, _"_STOP _FOLLOWING ME, DAMMIT!"_

Sesshoumaru, obviously angered, rose up in the sky until he was flying next to her. "Taiji-ya. Tell me where Inuyasha is."

"I told you, I don't know!" Sango snarled. "Leave me alone!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes lighted as an idea hatched in his mind. _This girl, this taiji-ya, could be used as bait to draw Inuyasha and the others. I will let the cat youkai loose and it will undoubtedly go to Inuyasha and the rest of her companions, eventually leading them back to me. And then I finally can kill my useless hanyou brother._ "You're coming with me!" he growled, grabbing Sango and tearing her roughly off Kirara. He held her close, her face pressed against his breastplate, his arm around her waist, so she could not escape.

"Let me go!" Sango shouted, struggling.

"Stay still!" Sesshoumaru barked. Kirara growled threateningly and started toward the inuyoukai. "Tell your youkai to leave or I'll kill her."

_Strange… she's a taiji-ya, yet she travels with youkai…_

"No!" Sango choked.

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws menacingly.

"F-fine!" Sango exclaimed. "Kirara, leave. Now." Kirara made a stubborn sound and Sango looked at her pleadingly. "Kirara, please. You're in danger." Making a defeated sound, Kirara took off. She knew where she was going.

Sesshoumaru grinned in a horrible way and took Sango down to the ground. "We stay here. Jaken, go collect some firewood. Rin, help him," he ordered.

Jaken looked confused, but complied. "Oh… oh, okay, Milord." His eyes told his lord that he understood: bait. Rin was still puzzled, and Jaken, leading her away, said, "Don't worry, I'll explain it when we get the firewood."

"Let me go!" Sango shrieked.

Sesshoumaru ignored her and took her to the base of a nearby tree. He sat her down and tore a strip off the bottom of her kimono without even asking. She shrieked in anger, but he didn't care as he wrapped the cloth around Sango and the trunk, pinning her to the tree. He tied it tight, so she could not escape no matter how hard she struggled.

And all at once, Sango knew what he was doing. "You're using me as bait…" she whispered. Furious, she shouted, "You bastard!"

Sesshoumaru sped toward her and went to claw her head, but she ducked and he missed her. Not by much, though. "You keep," he snarled, "calling me a bastard. Stop."

He scowled down at her when he saw, to his surprise, that tears were falling down her face. He bent to her level and peered deeply into her face. "Why are you crying?" The question was almost gentle. Honest.

"I'm… what?" Sango questioned.

Sesshoumaru's hand floated toward the taiji-ya's face, and Sango flinched, but Sesshoumaru simply wiped the tears away. Something had possessed him on this day, something strange… something kind. "You were crying," he said. "Why?"

"I don't know… maybe because you want to kill my brother and you are going to kill my friends!" she snapped.

Sesshoumaru backed up; a stony look on his face, regretting that he ever touched her face, wondering _why_ he touched her face.

Sango avoided his gaze and stared fixedly at the ground. The tension grew, but, thankfully, Rin and Jaken returned with the firewood. Sesshoumaru stood up immediately and strode away from Sango. Jaken and Rin settled down to start a fire and Sesshoumaru watched them with a somber air.

He closed his eyes briefly, and thought simply, _Filthy human._

oOo

Miroku sat next to blood soaked grass as he had for hours. _She's hurt… no doubt… she might even be dead… and it's my fault… I wish I wasn't such an idiot…_

"Miroku-sama, come on. Sango-chan is probably out there somewhere. She's probably fine. Someone might have helped her," Kagome lied skillfully. It was only a lie because Kagome believed Sango to be dead. She would never say it aloud; it was too painful… for both Miroku and herself.

"Right now," Inuyasha announced, hopping down from the tree, "we need to continue our search for the sacred jewel shards. Move it," he moved over to where Miroku sat, giving the monk a little kick, "come on. You know that Sango is d—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kagome had shouted, "Sit!"

Inuyasha crashed painfully to the ground. He began to get up, muttering, "You little b—"

"SIT!" Kagome bellowed again.

Inuyasha hit the ground again, but this time he held his tongue.

Shippo hopped into view. He had been out asking about Sango. "Hey guys, some people nearby said they saw a girl fighting the bear youkai and then they saw her go into the woods. One man said that she was covered in blood," Shippo said, eyes fearful. "Where's Sango? Is she okay?"

"But if she was dying, why isn't her body here?" Kagome wondered aloud. Miroku made a pained sound, but Kagome turned to him happily. "Don't you see, Miroku-sama? The fact that there is no body obviously means she isn't dead!"

Miroku smiled weakly at Kagome for that and stood up. "She'll find us." He said it as a statement, but to him, it was more a pleading question: _Is she going to find us? Is she going to come back?_

"Yeah," Kagome agreed wholeheartedly.

"Yeah!" Shippo echoed.

"Well, come on, then," Inuyasha said impatiently, motioning into the woods.

"Yes," Kagome chirped. "We have to find her."

oOo

Two days had passed without any sign of Inuyasha and the others. The third day had just begun, and Rin had run off after a butterfly about half an hour before. Jaken had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly. Sesshoumaru and Sango kept sullen silence, glowering at each other.

"You're going to die when Inuyasha gets here," Sango said conversationally. When she said this, Sango felt a twinge of pain in her heart. Why? Sesshoumaru was a heartless, cruel youkai, so why should she, the taiji-ya, feel bad saying that he was going to die? She hated him…

…didn't she?

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes briefly, obviously annoyed, and wordlessly got up and walked into the forest.

oOo

_Filthy taiji-ya… how dare she insult the great Lord of the Western Lands? I should kill her… Inuyasha wouldn't know she was dead… he would still come, and I would still get to kill him._

_I hate her. I hate everything about her. And yet…_

His brow furrowed in confusion.

_And yet… I am drawn to her… intrigued by her._

_No,_ he thought ferociously. _She is a weak human, and not worthy. She cannot stand against me for even a second. She has insulted everything I am. I will kill her. _He was satisfied, when suddenly, a more humane part of him cried out, _No! She is strong, even if she is human. I cannot kill her._ Sesshoumaru let out a roar of fury and frustration. '"What is happening to me!" he growled, the inner fury and confusion barely disguised in his baritone voice. The feelings in him caused him to drop to his knees, his hand covering his head protectively.

He hated her for making him feel this way.

_What are these feelings? This has never happened to me before… why am I attracted to that filthy taiji-ya? I am not like my father who fell in love with that human woman and fathered that bastard Inuyasha—father betrayed my mother and all the Inuyoukai when he did that. I will not be like him._

His claws struck a tree, snapping it in half. Furious with Sango, for being a stupid human, and himself, for allowing himself to get caught up in emotions, he tramped back to the camp.

oOo

When Sesshoumaru walked into the forest, Sango could tell he was mad enough to kill. And that gave her a little satisfaction. It was easy to make him angry. Sango thought back to a moment ago, when she felt pain at the thought of Sesshoumaru's death. Why, though? He was a youkai, and she was a taiji-ya. She was supposed to be pleased when a youkai met its demise…

But, Sesshoumaru was different. He was impossible. Every time she thought she had found a way to break him, he found a way to hurt her more. By insults, or by uneasy silence. Sango hated tension, and the air around the two was full of it. Now, Sesshoumaru had stormed into the forest. That hurt.

But she didn't know _why_ it hurt.

She hated him. She hated every fiber of his being. He went against everything she knew and loved. He was a youkai, and she, human. It was right for her to feel hate. She hated him with all her heart.

At least, she thought she did.

After thinking, Sango realized that, though, yes, she did hate him… there were other feelings… more hatred…?

This hate was, surprisingly, not for the death and the cruelty he represented. This hate wasn't even completely directed at Sesshoumaru himself.

This was hate for the silence. This was hate for the pain and the sorrow all around her. But why?

Why was there so much hate built up inside her?

Naraku took control of her little brother, and he didn't know whom she was—or whom he was, for that matter.

Her whole family had been slaughtered.

The man that she loved was a perverted, lecherous monk.

She was stuck with an arrogant, human-hating youkai.

_Human hating._

That little human girl, Rin, traveled with Sesshoumaru, and she wouldn't leave, so he had to have some kind of a heart, and some part of him mustn't detest humans that much…

Sango tried to stop her mind from thinking about the youkai lord, but her mind kept drifting back to him. Drifting back to Sesshoumaru, with his long silver hair and that shining blue crescent moon glowing on his forehead. Sango grew angry, and confused.

After thinking for half an hour, Sango's lip curled in a horrified but dry smile. _How ironic,_ she thought. _I am attracted to Sesshoumaru._

oOo

Sesshoumaru arrived back at the campsite soon after Sango's (and his own) realization, a stole a look at the taiji-ya. Their eyes met, and they both glanced away.

_I have feelings for this monster?_ Sango thought in shock.

_How can I have feelings for this human?_ Sesshoumaru thought, still furious with himself.

"Sesshoumaru…" Sango whispered.

He turned toward her, a stony look on his face. He was making sure none of his emotions could be seen through his expressions.

"Never mind," Sango said shyly. She felt her face heat up and thought frantically, _I can't believe I'm blushing… what is happening to me?_

Perplexed, Sesshoumaru watched her face redden.

oOo

In the meantime, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo were searching hopelessly for Sango, in the hopes that she was alive. It was pointless, however; for they had absolutely no idea where to go…

…until Kirara flew down from the sky onto the ground where the group stood talking.

"Kirara!" Kagome gasped.

Miroku took an eager step forward, hoping to see Sango somewhere on Kirara's being, but no luck. He sighed miserably and shook his head.

Kirara meowed at him and grabbed the monk's sleeve, tugging him back the way she had come.

"Do you think she knows where Sango is?" Kagome asked.

"Maybe!" Shippo said enthusiastically. "Let's go!" He hopped in between Kirara's ears and beckoned to the rest.

Kagome smiled and grabbed Miroku's hand gently, leading him over to Kirara. They both mounted her, and they set off, Inuyasha jumping steadily from tree to tree after them.

At least two hours passed before something happened. Shippo had fallen asleep, and Kagome had to grab him from between Kirara's ears; he almost fell to the ground below. Inuyasha was falling behind, panting loudly. Miroku was silent, keeping an eye out for any sight of his beloved taiji-ya. Kagome was constantly looking back to where Inuyasha was, obviously concerned.

Then, finally, Kirara lowered herself to the ground in a wooded area. Inuyasha followed her down and collapsed in the dirt, exhausted. Kagome hopped off of Kirara, Shippo still in her arms, and said, "Hey… I don't see any sign of Sango…"

Miroku got off too, and was looking around when something caught his attention. "Look!" he whispered. He pointed at a place in the woods just beyond where they were: a clearing. In that clearing, tied to a tree with her own kimono, was Sango. "Sango!" he exclaimed in an ecstatic whisper. He made to run forward, but Kirara grabbed onto him and held him back.

Kagome ran up to where Miroku was and gasped. "Look… Inuyasha… it's…"

Inuyasha got up off the ground and jogged over to where his friends were. Immediately he saw what Miroku had not. "Sesshoumaru…" he breathed.

"Sesshoumaru took Sango prisoner?" Miroku fumed.

Inuyasha smiled evilly and walked into the clearing. Miroku followed closely afterward, and Kagome followed after setting the sleeping Shippo on the grass. Kirara was there to protect him; she wasn't worried.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha and Miroku barked at the same time.

Sango's face split into a huge smile when she saw her friends. "Inuyasha! Kagome-chan!" She then paused and hesitantly continued, "…houshi-sama!"

"Sango!" Miroku ran toward the girl and untied the cloth. She got up and Miroku threw open his arms for a hug, but no luck.

Sango turned away from him and muttered, "Thank you, houshi-sama," and ran over to Kagome, who welcomed her with open arms.

Miroku stood there in shock, mouth agape. Inuyasha snickered at him, but Kagome quieted him after a quick threat. "S… Sango?" Miroku said weakly.

Inuyasha took a step toward his older brother and unsheathed Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru, who had sensed the group long ago, gave a tiny hint of a smirk and drew the Tokijin. Then, simultaneously, they charged at each other.

Sango looked worriedly between the two, searching for Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru drew back for a moment, and Sango sighed in relief. There was a tiny cut on Sesshoumaru's forehead, but that was all. There was a thin line of blood dripping from Inuyasha's mouth to his chin, but no other injuries. The two struck at each other again and again, and each time they found they were evenly matched.

Sesshoumaru, annoyed by how he hadn't gotten in a proper shot yet, charged toward the half-breed. Their swords connected, but Inuyasha frowned.

"This time I'm going to kill you!" he roared, charging forward with new strength. To Sesshoumaru's surprise, Inuyasha brutally knocked the Tokijin from his brother's hand. It landed in the dirt some feet away and stuck fast.

Unarmed, Sesshoumaru frowned. Inuyasha smirked at him and readied the Kaze no Kizu. _Either I have to dodge or…_ The taiyoukai's eyes narrowed and he dashed toward Tokijin.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Inuyasha roared, whirling around and swinging his sword at his brother. "Kaze no Kizu!" the hanyou bellowed, and watched in satisfaction as his strongest attack rolled toward his older brother.

Sesshoumaru grabbed the Tokijin and back flipped to safety—the Kaze no Kizu missed him by an inch. Inuyasha gave a dry smirk and said, "I'll get you next time, Sesshoumaru."

"There will be no next time!" Sesshoumaru growled, charging. Inuyasha immediately mimicked him, the same determined expression on his young face.

Sango's eyes widened, and the taiji-ya ran into the middle of the battlefield and screamed, _"STOP!"_

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru froze, staring at the woman in between them.

Tears sparkled in Sango's eyes and her form shook piteously. "Please don't kill Sesshoumaru," she pleaded with Inuyasha. "He saved my life!"

Inuyasha dropped his sword in shock, while Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped. Miroku bit back a disbelieving chuckle and said, "He saved you?" The monk laughed and added, "I think you must be thinking of someone else, Sango."

Sango glared daggers at him and retorted, "He did save me! I was hurt… I was beaten by a bear youkai and Sesshoumaru helped me!"

Sesshoumaru glanced away. "I only helped because I was _begged_, taiji-ya."

"See? He's just a cruel youkai! Sango, he kidnapped you so he could use you as bait!" Miroku insisted.

Sango bit her lip and averted her eyes. "I know…"

The taiji-ya felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find Kagome's earnest face staring into her own, large chocolate eyes staring into her own cinnamon orbs. "Come on, Sango-chan," she said softly. And Sango complied. With one last look back at Sesshoumaru, Sango left with Kagome, Miroku and a very reluctant and frustrated Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru stared impassively after her, watching the girl disappear over a hill. "Ridiculous."

oOo

As strange group of travelers strode farther and farther away from Sesshoumaru's fading figure, the Tetsusaiga, back to it's normal, broken self, bobbed lightly on Inuyasha's shoulder. An annoyed expression played across the hanyou's face, and he snorted unceremoniously. "Why didn't you let me kill him?" Inuyasha asked for the third time in five minutes.

And for the third time, Sango was silent.

"Tell me! I could've killed him, I just know it!" Inuyasha persisted.

"I told you," Sango said slowly, the cold edge to her voice biting into her friend. "He saved my life, and I was in his debt. Now the debt is repaid." _I highly doubt Sesshoumaru appreciates that I stopped the battle; in fact, he probably hates me for it._ Her heart throbbed painfully. _But I felt I needed to do something._ Sango bowed her head, and thought, _A debt? I'm afraid that I think it's more than just a debt…_ Sango suspected that another reason she stopped the battle was because of her secret, rejected feelings for the Taiyoukai.

"You wouldn't have to repay him if he was dead!" Inuyasha exploded. Sango chuckled softly and looked up at Inuyasha as if observing a young child. He glanced down at her and immediately tensed. "What're you lookin' at me like that for?" asked he, sounding like some kind of dumb, juvenile delinquent.

"Nothing," Sango said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Miroku gazed down at the young girl and considered asking her what the matter was. But all thoughts flew from his head when she looked up at him, and her eyes seemed strangely empty and dark. "San…go?"

Sango quickly averted he eyes when she saw the monk's eyes widen in confusion. _Why do I feel so depressed?_ she wondered.

"Sango? Are you all right?" Kagome asked, saying what Miroku didn't dare to voice. "You seem sad. Do you regret saving Sesshoumaru, or something?"

Sango almost laughed. But then she realized that if she made it seem that she in no way regretted her decision, her new secret might be discovered. "No. I'm fine, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled. "Really," she added quickly when she saw Kagome's unsure expression.

"Feh," Inuyasha said gruffly.

oOo

That evening, Sango sat huddled around the warm fire of their campsite, thinking. Miroku sat silently next to her, also deep in thought. Kagome and Shippo were fast asleep, curled up in the girl's sleeping bag. Kirara lay next to Sango on the log, also sleeping. Inuyasha sat in the branches of the nearest tree, and, asleep or awake, no one could tell.

_I wonder if Sango is all right now… why was she acting so strangely today? So quiet?_ He glanced over at her and saw her large eyes shut, her knees pulled up to her chin. Miroku scooted a tiny bit closer, and she didn't stir. _Maybe…_ The monk's hand reached out slowly toward her, but suddenly a soft voice cut through the night air.

"I see you haven't changed."

"Huh?" Miroku jerked his hand back and peered at Sango. Her eyes were still closed, but it was her who had spoken. "What?"

"You haven't changed," Sango repeated quietly.

"Sango," the monk laughed. "It's only been a couple of days since I last saw you. Do you really think I would have changed?"

_Only a couple of days,_ Sango mused. _That's right. Sesshoumaru only held me captive for two days. How come it seems as if it has been so much longer? _The taiji-ya opened her eyes and glanced at the monk. "So, seen that girl lately? What was her name? Ryomi?" Her voice dripped ice.

"Ryomi?" Miroku repeated. He blanched. That troublesome girl had been immediately forgotten when Sango ran off. "Oh… Sango—"

Sango simply stared at the flame once more. Her eyes flickered back and forth across her comrades resting on the ground, and then finally up to where she presumed Inuyasha sat, in a tree above Kagome. Her mind drifted to Inuyasha's words earlier that day and she frowned.

'Tell me! I could've killed him, I just know it!'

_Would he have really killed Sesshoumaru? His own brother? Can anybody be that cruel?_Sango grimaced and thought briefly of her dear Kohaku before turning to, at that moment, more urgent matters. _And what am I going to do about my… feelings? He must hate me. I'll never tell him. Never!_

"Sango?" came Miroku's voice.

The girl's head snapped up, making her loose her balance. Clumsily, she began to tumble off the log. "Ahh!" she squeaked. She braced herself and prepared to hit cold dirt, when Miroku's arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back up. She smiled at him, the tension gone for the moment. "Thanks."

"You are welcome, Sango," Miroku said huskily. He leaned in closer and Sango's face heated up. Suddenly, his lips descended on her own. Sango stiffened, and attempted pushing him away. But, he had her in a firm hold and would not let go. She protested against his mouth, but he didn't hear.

"NO!" she shouted, managing to push him away and slap him hard. This time, it was Miroku who almost fell of the log. Except, unlike Sango, who was saved, Miroku continued to hit the ground—hard. She stood up and backed away from him, face scarlet.

Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes and peered out at Sango, caught in the fire's light. Her eyes found Miroku, or rather, Miroku's legs, sticking up from where he had fallen. "What… happened?" she said groggily. Then she saw how red Sango was, and noticed the hand across the girl's lips. Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh… you—"

Sango shot her a look and snapped, "Go back to sleep, Kagome-chan."

Not sure whether to be excited that her dear friends had kissed, or miserable that Sango was upset and had told her off, Kagome complied and lay down again next to Shippo. Sango seemed to relax, but Kagome's eyes stayed open.

Miroku, in this time, had gotten up, and his hand was on his cheek. Mouth open, eyes wide and full of hurt, he sputtered, "Sango… I… I thought…"

Sango whirled around and strode off into the forest around them, blocking out Miroku and Kagome's calls. She kept walking until she reached a small clearing littered with fallen branches. She collapsed against a tall tree and sighed. _Oh god,_ she thought miserably.

There was a rustling of leaves up above, and Sango snapped to attention. "Who is there?" she called out, hand gripping the Hiraikotsu. "Show yourself!"

And, out of the shadows, came the most unlikely person.

Sango leaned forward. "Kohaku?"

Her little brother tottered toward her, covered in blood. The taiji-ya ran forward and got down to her brother's level and examined his wounds. "Oh, god, Kohaku, what happened to you!" She hugged him and smiled. "It's all right now. I'll take you back to Kagome and—" She froze mid-sentence. _Wait—the jewel shard… doesn't it numb pain? Then…_ All thoughts flew from her head as she realized it was a trap too late. Kohaku sank his kusarigama deep into Sango's shoulder, making her cry out and fall backward.

"Koh… Kohaku!" she stammered, gripping her shoulder and feeling the blood pour over her fingers. She winced in pain and growled at her own stupidity. "Naraku is going to pay for what he's done to you, Kohaku!"

His eyes empty, Kohaku swayed slightly and rushed forward at a terrible speed to attack again. Sango grabbed Hiraikotsu and swung it out in front of her as a shield. He maneuvered to successfully disarm her of her boomerang, and the weapon collided with a tree. The boy attacked again and Sango was forced to draw her sword. She blocked the attack with her good arm and pushed back against him. The taiji-ya managed to push her little brother back and throw his weapon to the ground. Devoid of emotion, Kohaku glanced blankly at his fallen kusarigama and unsheathed his sword. He attacked with no passion, making it easier for Sango to throw him off balance.

"Wake up, Kohaku!" Sango urged, watching Kohaku struggle against her onslaught of defensive attacks.

There was a strong gust of wind, and Kohaku glanced up to see Kagura floating on her pearly feather in the moonlight. He gave his sister one last gaze, and jumped up into the trees, and then onto Kagura's feather.

Now that the battle was past, and there was nothing to distract Sango from her wound, she gasped in pain and fell to her knees, clutching her injured shoulder. She staggered back to the campsite and Kagome leaped up from where she had been whispering to Miroku about Sango and the monk's disastrous encounter.

"Sango-chan, what happened?" Kagome dashed forward and led Sango to her medical supplies. She got out gauze and bandages and dutifully wrapped up Sango's arm before the taiji-ya had a chance to say a single word. Kirara meowed and hopped up next to her mistress, licking her hand.

Miroku raced over and asked, "How did this happen, Sango?"

There had been too much tension between them already, so Sango decided to pretend that the earlier incident had never happened. It was not as if Sango did not love the perverted monk, she did, it was just that Sango had always had trouble dealing with the extent of his flirting, and now, it was quite refreshing to have feelings for another, even if they were forbidden.

So she decided to explain. "I was attacked… by Kohaku."

Kagome gasped, Miroku frowned deeply, Kirara whined unhappily, and Inuyasha hopped down from his perch and swore at the beast that was Naraku. "He'll never trick _me_ again," Inuyasha declared. "Bastard!"

Sango flinched as Kagome brushed the wound, and then listened to her relentless, pointless apologies. It was minutes later that Sango managed to speak, and when she did, she reassured Kagome that she was absolutely fine. Yes, she had to do it three times, but it succeeded in quieting Kagome, so Sango could brood in peace.

Soon, Sango's wound was wrapped up, and she was feeling far better. Kagome hovered by her side, Miroku sat next to her, deep in thought, and Inuyasha sat cross-legged in the dirt. One minute later, her voice broke the silence.

"I was tricked."

Miroku glanced up from his knees when she said this and, puzzled, repeated her words. "You were tricked? What do you mean?"

"Kohaku," Sango sighed. "Something possessed me… I believed him to be normal, and embraced him… only to remember that the jewel shard in his back numbs pain."

Kagome winced sympathetically. "Sango-chan, that's so horrible…"

"Feh. Surely you must be used to it by now," Inuyasha snorted thoughtlessly. "We've been hunting Naraku for a while now, and he has used Kohaku against you tons of times."

Sango and Kagome glared at him. Kagome, used to his insensitivity, responded in her normal manner: by once again using the beads around the hanyou's neck to his great disadvantage.

"Sit, boy."

Inuyasha, thankfully sitting on the ground, had not long to fall, but he did fall, and a painful fall at that. He hit the dirt and growled out something incomprehensible, but Kagome deciphered it as something that was worthy of another sit.

"Let's sleep now," Miroku murmured. "We should have been resting for tomorrow hours ago—now we have not much more than five hours to sleep." There was a sound of compatible mumbling, and Miroku finished his speech. "I cannot sleep, so I shall take watch."

"But, houshi-sama," Sango protested. "You'll be exhausted by morning!"

"It means more to me that you care," Miroku said, eyes shining.

Sango's face reddened and she buried her head in a sleeping bag she had borrowed from Kagome. _Oh, god, _she thought. She closed her eyes and ignored the feeling of a certain monk's eyes remaining on her.


	3. Three

_**Heart of Darkness  
**__part three_

**T**he next day, the group set off bright and early in their usual search for the jewel shards. Kagome said she didn't sense anything, and Inuyasha pushed her to search harder, eventually resulting in another sit.

Sango shook her head fondly at the two, and thought of her own heart. There was Miroku, the lecherous monk who had been the object of her affection for so long now, and then Sesshoumaru, a refreshingly forbidden love that would never be told to anyone—especially not the taiyoukai himself. Sango shook her head to clear her thoughts and glanced fondly down at Shippo, who had slept through everything last night, and Kirara, who were toddling along beside her.

But, no matter how hard she tried, she could not rid herself of the image of—no, not Miroku, but Sesshoumaru. He kept popping up in her head—the opaque and beautiful face with its demon markings. The expression was always the same—it was an expression of anger and frustration. It had been written across his face before he stormed into the forest a couple of nights ago, when she was his prisoner.

oOo

Elsewhere, Sesshoumaru was plagued with images of the taiji-ya, and it was annoying him to no end. He would distract himself by listening to Rin's joyous babbling, or Jaken's annoying screeching, but it never worked. She would always return to his mind. It infuriated him, the fact that he was turning out to be more like his despicable father than he would have liked.

Something struck the great demon at that second. Not only was he like his father, but like Inuyasha too. Sesshoumaru's body gave an involuntary shudder, and thought determinedly, _I will not be like my father, and I will certainly not be like my worthless hanyou brother!_

_That's it, _the taiyoukai thought, _the next time I see her, I will kill her._

Little did he know that he had accidentally gone in a large circle, and that he was actually heading in Sango's direction now…

oOo

As Sango and Sesshoumaru unwittingly headed toward each other, the taiji-ya was recovering from both Sango's wound and the shock of Sesshoumaru's face appearing in her mind every time she let her thoughts stray. She was silent most of the time, wondering what would happen when the both of them met up. Chaos would ensue, obviously. But would he kill her? She interrupted his battle… he was probably angry and probably a little curious as to why she cared enough to stop him. Sango shuddered. How she dreaded that moment!

Miroku watched the cinnamon-eyed girl with unease. Their kiss had not been spoken of, and Miroku wondered as to why she suddenly found him so very repulsive—repulsive enough to push him away. He had always known she was not good at handling her feelings, and was liable to get flustered easily. But, the monk had always pictured her initial surprise, and how she'd squeak against his lips and soon start to kiss him back… well, let's just say that Miroku had planned everything out, from the kiss to what followed after.

Even Miroku's face had reddened at this possibility, and he coughed uncomfortably as he recalled it.

Even Kagome had been stunned into silence at what happened that fateful night. She had always pictured the monk and the taiji-ya to marry happily—_the perfect picture!_she thought. Despite the fact that she had awoken after the moment that destroyed her dream, Kagome still managed to figure out what had happen in the course of a few seconds. Horrified could never have described how she felt right then.

Shippo did not even have an inkling of what had happened that night, as he had slept through the whole thing, so he could not figure out why everyone was so sullen.

Inuyasha had heard every word, every noise, but had seen nothing from his position in the tree. Being the dense idiot he was, he had not yet put two and two together.

Sango bit her lip and gazed at the setting sun. "Perhaps we should find a place to sleep?" she suggested softly. "It is getting dark and," she shivered slightly, "cold."

"You're right, Sango," Miroku agreed readily. "I'm sure we'll come across a village in a mile or two." He grinned mischievously. "And I'm sure they'll be happy to let us stay in one of their fine homes.

Inuyasha snorted and shook his head.

oOo

"Yes… sir, your house is in need of my help. There is a demon in these walls…"

The rich man whose house Miroku and the others were going to be staying in gasped and whispered, "Really? Oh please, houshi-sama, exorcize it for us! In return for this, I shall allow you and your _friends_," he sniffed disdainfully at Inuyasha, Shippo and Kirara, "to stay here."

"Very well," Miroku announced. He whipped out a sutra, pinned it to the wall and said a few words. There was a raspy, choking sound and a translucent form burst from that wall and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The monk's friends watched with wide eyes, but did not say anything until the man of the house had left them before their respective rooms.

"There was actually a demon?" Kagome asked.

Miroku closed his eyes and sighed. "Of course there was a demon. There is always a demon."

"Miroku, are you feeling all right?" Shippo squeaked, hopping up to feel the monk's forehead. A vein in Miroku's temple throbbed and Shippo squealed and hurried to get behind Kagome.

"Goodnight," Miroku said, and swept inside the room. Inuyasha and Shippo bade the girls goodnight and followed Miroku. Kagome followed suit, except she, of course, disappeared inside her own room.

Sango stood motionless outside, deep in thought, so Kagome poked her head and asked, "Aren't you going to sleep, Sango-chan?"

The brown-eyed slayer smiled at her dear friend and whispered, "In a while, maybe. I'm going on a walk."

Though Kagome had to strain to hear it, she did, and smiled. "Okay."

Sango smiled back and excused herself to find a way out of the house and into the welcoming woods surrounding it. She did not want to run into the master of the house and get interrogated, and thankfully she did not meet up with him. When the taiji-ya stepped out, she took a deep breath of chilly night air and stepped into the woods, her Hiraikotsu still strapped to her back.

Walking in the woods was relaxing for Sango, and she happily leant against a thick tree when she tired. She knew she had been gone a long time, and hoped Kagome was not worried.

Just then, the sound of breaking branches alerted her. And Sango pressed herself against the tree trunk, sure she was hallucinating. But no, here was the man, the youkai, who plagued her troubled mind—Sesshoumaru. His elegant garb seemed to float around him in the moonlight, the slight breeze whipping his silvery white hair into motion. The demon markings on his cheeks and forehead seemed to glow, and his amber eyes were completely cold, masking the emotional turmoil within.

"Sessh… Sesshoumaru!" Sango stammered. The rough texture of the bark was pressing uncomfortably against her back, and a small branch was sticking into her slightly, but she ignored it.

There was a flash of something in Sesshoumaru's eyes. She was positive she had seen it—emotion. Relief, and frustration.

"What do you want?" Sango asked, still baffled about the feelings she had seen in this cold demon's eyes. "Did you come to finish your fight?"

"Taiji-ya," Sesshoumaru growled, his emotions back in check, "why did you stop the fight between me and that useless hanyou? I was going to kill him."

"You… you saved me," Sango said quickly, strangely off guard and feeling vulnerable, as if she might say something that she would not want to. "I was in your debt. By saving you, I repaid the debt." Immediately, she saw that 'saving' had been the wrong word to use.

Sesshoumaru's face contorted with rage, and he straightened up and hissed, "You think I need saving, taiji-ya? Saving from that weak, undeserving brother of mine?" Sango stood tall, but her knees were shaking. "Debt!" he raged. "I do not care. I saved you simply because Rin asked me too. There was no debt to me! If anyone, you owe your life to Rin." Sesshoumaru glowered at her.

Sango knew that his response would be something like this, but she still was not prepared for the rage that he now emitted. "I—"

Sesshoumaru glare that clearly said, 'I don't care,' stopped her in her tracks. "If not for you, the hanyou would be lying dead in a pool of his own blood right now," he said.

"But what if it was you who was dead? You who had lost?" Sango said.

Big mistake.

"I would not have lost," Sesshoumaru seethed. "Filthy human, die for your stupidity!" He raised a poison tipped claw and slashed downward.

Sango immediately swung the Hiraikotsu in front of her to use it as a shield, but lowered it a second later when she sensed Sesshoumaru stopping. She glanced up at him to see his hand frozen a few inches above her head. Emotions dueled on the surface of his porcelain face, and he lowered his hand.

"Sesshoumaru?" Sango breathed softly.

Just then, a clawed hand hit the tree trunk above her head, burying itself deep. Sango flinched, and glanced up at the taiyoukai.

_I can't do it. I can't kill her._

_What's he doing? Why didn't he kill me?_

Before Sango knew what was happening, the taiyoukai had pulled Sango off the tree trunk, and one finger had tipped her chin up. "What are you doing to me?" Sesshoumaru hissed.

Sango's face heated up, and she was thankful for the darkness. "I am doing nothing, youkai!" she snapped. "It is you who—" She stopped mid-sentence, and nearly gasped aloud. _Stupid stupid stupid stupid. _As soon as she said it she knew it was _stupid stupid stupid. Idiot! I have all but told him! _Sango thought miserably, and took a deep breath.

"You disgust me," Sesshoumaru whispered. "What could I possibly be doing?" Sango's eyes widened just a little, and he was sure he was not supposed to notice. His own words spun round his head. _You disgust me… you disgust me… you disgust me…_ Sesshoumaru frowned at the level of hurt on her heart-shaped face and muttered, "I lie."

Sango strained to hear what he said, but missed it, as it had been barely audible. "Wh-what?"

Sesshoumaru glared at her. "I lie… you do not… disgust me," he repeated grudgingly.

"I… don't?" Sango asked, perplexed. She cleared her throat and began again, "What do you mean, Sesshoumaru?"

"Do not make me repeat it a third time," Sesshoumaru said, obviously vexed. "You intrigue me," he said with difficulty after a moments pause. She gaped at him, and quickly shut her mouth when he leaned closer. "I do not understand you. I do not understand what happens to me when you are around."

Sango stared up at him in disbelief. Surely he was not feeling the same torment as she?

"Witch. Stop it. Call off your spell," Sesshoumaru growled at her.

Sango, caught up in the fact that he was feeling the exact same as she, found herself rising up onto her toes and smiling softly at him. "I am no witch," she murmured bravely.

"Sorceress," he mumbled. Sango seemed to loom closer in his vision and he hissed, "Temptress."

"I am not a temptress!" Sango protested. But Sesshoumaru wasn't listening anymore. In the next second, the taiyoukai had succumbed to his newfound emotions by dipping down and kissing the human taiji-ya.

Sango went limp in his arms, positive that if he weren't holding her up, she would fall down. _What's going on?_ Sango thought. _How could I have pushed Miroku away but now allow Sesshoumaru? Why aren't I slapping him, as I did Miroku? _Her mind emptied as one part of her mind made a decision—she liked this. And so, that part of her head made her return the kiss.

There was an unfamiliar rustling in the trees and a flash of red material, and the two broke apart. Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed, and he gripped Sango's shoulders, roughly enfolding her in a slightly possessive hold. She welcomed his embrace and leaned into it. "Come out," Sesshoumaru growled, "coward."

Inuyasha dropped down from a tree, a furious expression playing over his rough features.

"Inu… Inuyasha!" Sango exclaimed nervously. She went to pull away, but Sesshoumaru would not let her go. She glanced up at him in wonder and confusion, to see that his glare was fixed furiously on his brother.

"So, Sango," Inuyasha snarled, "couldn't sleep?" The hanyou's eyes traveled up to Sesshoumaru. "Thought Sesshoumaru would be able to help, huh?"

"Inuyasha," came a sleepy voice. "What are you doing? Where's Sango?" Kagome appeared through the trees and let out an almighty gasp when she saw Sango in Sesshoumaru's arms. "Oh, Sango, what are you doing?" she shrieked loudly.

A desperate and worried, "Sango!" could be heard through the trees, and soon you could hear the snapping of twigs and leaves under the feet of none other than monk Miroku. He arrived in the clearing, and bent over, hands on his knees, to rest. "What's… she… doing," he panted. Kagome didn't respond, and Miroku glanced up. His face contorted with rage and he charged forward, swinging his staff angrily. "Let her go, demon! Let go of my woman!"

Sango stiffened, and Sesshoumaru let out a soft growl. "_Your_ woman?" he repeated.

"Yes, _my_ woman!" Miroku raged. "Do not act as if she is yours to take, youkai!" He walked forward and extended his hand toward her. "Come on, Sango," he said gently. "Come to me."

Pink with pleasure at Sesshoumaru's anger, Sango chose to simply shake her head and whisper, "No."

"Sango," Miroku laughed. "Do not forget in whose arms you now stand. Sesshoumaru is our enemy, Sango, not your dearest friend. And you," he turned to the taiyoukai, "where do you get the right to be angered of the fact that Sango is mine?"

"I am not yours!"

Miroku stopped in mid-sentence, his attention on Sango. "What?"

"I am not yours. I am not a possession you own, monk," Sango repeated, this time braver.

"Oh, Sango, I did not mean to imply any such thing," Miroku began, wanting to take it back. He cleared his throat and continued, "I know well you are not a possession, and I do not think of you as one—"

"Then why do you claim me as yours?" Sango countered immediately.

"Because we are to be wed once Naraku is dead!"

Sango's eyes widened, and she glanced up at Sesshoumaru's opaque face. The taiyoukai looked at the girl and his expression clearly stated his silent question: _Is this true?_

Sango shifted uncomfortably. "Well, he asked me to bear his child, and I said yes, but—" The arms around her loosened and dropped to his sides, and he stepped back. The taiji-ya looked back at him in confusion, but he simply stared back at her, all trace of emotion gone.

Miroku smiled at his success and grabbed Sango's arm to pull her close. But, to his surprise, she slapped his hand away and faced him with the fury simply radiating off her. "Sango?" Miroku asked tentatively, unsure of what he had done wrong.

Trying to calm herself, Sango took a deep breath and looked past Miroku, to where she expected to see Kagome and Inuyasha standing. Instead, it was just Kagome who stood there. Her mouth was open and her eyes wide; she looked like a fish. Sango would have chuckled at this if the situation had been less serious. The taiji-ya turned around to Sesshoumaru and saw that Inuyasha was bellowing incoherent words at him. In the next second, Inuyasha had drawn Tetsusaiga and had bellowed, "Kaze no Kizu!"

Sesshoumaru jumped to the side and easily avoided the attack, ignoring Sango's wide-eyed fear of him getting hurt. No doubt he too felt betrayed. Inuyasha growled and raised his sword for another attack, but Sango stumbled closer and reached out to grab the sleeve of Sesshoumaru's ornate robe.

Turning to her, Sesshoumaru said coldly, "This is the second time you have interrupted a battle of mine, woman."

Sango's heart lurched. _Since when have I been 'woman'? _She looked at the ground and thought bitterly, _Since when have I been _more _than 'woman'? _"I'm… sorry," she whispered, daringly burying her face in the material of his sleeve.

He shrugged her off and sent her sprawling back into Miroku's arms. Miroku gave an, 'Oof,' and both tumbled ungainly to the ground. A confused Sango now lay atop the rather too cheery monk, and when Sesshoumaru looked back and saw this, the taiyoukai quickly turned back to the fight, a tiny flash of something in his eyes. Hurt.

Sango all but threw herself off Miroku and stood again, absentmindedly wiping off her kimono. She gazed intently at Sesshoumaru, recalling his words… and their kiss. _Perhaps I should do something impulsive, _she thought. _No. That would probably make him even angrier._

Miroku, who had also long since stood, ventured to speak. "Sango… what is it? Suddenly, you do not wish to marry me? For the sake of… _him_?"

The battle between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stopped in mid-blow, Sesshoumaru's Tokijin hovering heavily by Inuyasha's throat, the Tetsusaiga stopped a bit further away near Sesshoumaru's breastplate. Inuyasha turned on Sango and snapped, "Yeah, Sango. Have you got amnesia or somethin'?"

Kagome, unusually silent all this time, cut in with a shaking voice. "Sango, please. Come back to me, and we'll go back. Let's go, hmm?" The girl gestured in the direction of the house and beckoned, giving an incredibly weak half-smile.

"Stop it."

Sango blanched and looked up from where her gaze had fallen on her toes. It was Sesshoumaru who had spoken.

"Do not force yourself, taiji-ya. Go back. I never wish to see you again." Sango dropped to her knees as he said this and stared intently at the brown dirt. "Now, little brother," the taiyoukai said, "I shall send you to the depths of hell!"

"No!" Sango yelled. Fists pounded the ground. She stood, and bellowed in a rather shocked Sesshoumaru's direction, "I will _not_! Who are you, to tell me what I should do?"

Sesshoumaru nearly dropped his sword. Never in his life had he expected the human to be quite _this_ spirited.

Sango turned on Miroku, hand outstretched, a finger pointing at the spot between his eyes. "And you, houshi-sama! Acting as if you own me when you flirt with every woman that crosses your path! How _dare _you!"

Miroku stared at her, mouth agape, as his mouth fumbled over incomprehensible words. Kagome once again looked like a fish, and Inuyasha looked maybe a little relieved. _Maybe she doesn't love him, _he thought. _After all, she's blowing up at Miroku, same as always._

Sango strode up to Sesshoumaru and hissed at him, "I belong to no one." She stared him bravely in the face, and the taiyoukai stared down at her.

"So it would seem," he remarked. He seemed completely indifferent, but Sango saw emotion in his eyes for the third time that day. Relief. And maybe a little happiness.

So, never actually angry with him, she hugged the youkai. Right in front of everyone. It was a stupid, impulsive thing to do, but she did it anyway.

Miroku watched this exchange of emotions with horror and whispered, "You really do love him, don't you, Sango?"

Kagome's eyes were wide with surprise. _Sango-chan loves… Sesshoumaru? _Her gaze fell on the hanyou, who looked mad enough to kill. _Inuyasha!_

Her tears slowing, Sango smiled at Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai stared back at her. But she saw a small smirking smile tug at his lips, and she also the pinkness in his pale cheeks. Sango buried her face in his chest and whispered, "Sesshoumaru…" He didn't resist. In face, the inuyoukai was quite happy to have her there, in his arms.

Inuyasha, standing behind the happy couple, stood stock-still, mouth wide. "Sango," he breathed.

Suddenly a gentle, lilting, mocking voice echoed in his head. _She betrayed you, Inuyasha._ It was Naraku's voice.

"No!" Inuyasha shouted, putting his hands on his ears. "Get out of my head!" The group turned to look at him in confusion, wondering what he was talking about, wondering whether the sight of his friend with his brother had made him go mad.

_This was her plan all along. She hates you, Inuyasha._

"Stop it!" Inuyasha roared at the intruder.

_Are you really going to stand there and let her live? She betrayed your trust, Inuyasha. She's lower than a dog._

Sango watched fearfully as Inuyasha curled in on himself, groaning. Sesshoumaru frowned and watched his younger half-brother warily, tensely—in case he had to defend the taiji-ya.

"San…go," Inuyasha grunted. He pulled his head up and Kagome saw tears sparkling in his eyes. "Get out of here! Now!"

"What?" Sango asked. "What's wrong?" She broke out of Sesshoumaru's embrace and walked toward the hanyou, hand outstretched. "Inuyasha?" she asked gently.

_She doesn't deserve to live, Inuyasha. Kill her. KILL HER._

Inuyasha let out a scream and clutched his head, raking his nails over his cheeks, drawing blood. "Get out of here!" he bellowed at Sango. She stepped back but didn't leave, confused.

_KILL HER._

One second later, Inuyasha lost to the trickery of Naraku. He could barely control his body. All the hanyou knew was that one of his friends was in love with his brother, and he could not understand why. All he heard was the blood rushing in his ears, and all he saw was the image of Sesshoumaru, and Sango with her arms wrapped around him in a sure embrace. Inuyasha didn't know what he was doing—all he knew was that he had been betrayed. "TRAITOR!" Inuyasha bellowed and charged forward. He swung the Tetsusaiga blindly.

Sesshoumaru ran forward to protect Sango, but was knocked out of the way by none other than Miroku. All of her bravery gone at the thought of one of her dear friends ending her life, Sango had shut her eyes and braced herself when she heard the Tetsusaiga slice through someone else. Her eyes sprang open, expecting to see Sesshoumaru dying on the end of the sword, but instead, the taiyoukai was by her side, and monk Miroku was smiling down at her.

Inuyasha stood behind them, a horror-struck look on his face. He jerked the Tetsusaiga out of the young monk and stumbled backward. Miroku fell to his knees and coughed horribly—blood hit the ground.

"Houshi-sama…" Sango whispered. She dropped to the ground and wrapped her arms around him, letting loose racking sobs. Sesshoumaru stood staring at the monk, his hand on Sango's shoulder.

Miroku gave the inuyoukai a feeble, pained smile. "Don't give me that look," he croaked. "You can't die yet. Your happy life with Sango is just beginning." Then the monk turned to Sango and asked her one final request: "Would you… call me by my given name? Once, Sango, before I d-die…"

Sango was taken purely by surprise. "Houshi-s—" she began, but then stifled a sob and whimpered, "Oh, Miroku…"

The monk smiled, and whispered, "I wish you… the greatest happiness." Miroku drew one last, rattling breath, and his body went limp.

Sango's eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around him. "Houshi-s… Miroku…" she sobbed. "No…"

Kagome rushed over to where Sango sat. She dropped to the ground too and laid Miroku's body on the ground, with his head lying on Sango's lap. Kagome turned around to Inuyasha, tears sparkling in her ears, and shouted, "Inuyasha, how could you!"

Sesshoumaru stared for a long time at the body in Sango's arms and then he rushed toward his cowering brother and said softly, "What have you done?"

But Inuyasha was crying too. Tears were dropping freely from his eyes and he had fallen to his knees. "I didn't mean it… I'm sorry…" he blubbered. "How could I have done this? I never meant…! Oh, god, Miroku!" His racking sobs grew louder, becoming the same sound as Sango's wail. The hanyou's fist pounded the ground, his Tetsusaiga tossed aside. It was red with Miroku's blood.

oOo

Many weeks later, when Sango had finally started to recover from Miroku's death, she was ready… ready to leave.

"Good-bye," the taiji-ya murmured, tears brimming in her shining cinnamon eyes. She bowed deeply to Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo.

"Good-bye, Sango-chan," Kagome said, sniffing back a small sob.

Shippo waved madly and said, "Bye, Sango!"

Inuyasha gave a shrug that was, at the same time, a wave good-bye. "Bye."

She turned back to Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken. They were waiting for her down the road. She gave her friends a final wave and ran off to meet her beloved and her new friends. She arrived at where they were and Sesshoumaru clasped her hand, nothing more, nothing less. Then they set off together, fingers intertwined, to start a new life.

Sango smiled to herself and one thought flitted across her mind. _Thank you… Miroku._

_fin_

_-_

_epilogue_

Sun shone through the trees. A crowded graveyard was bathed in warmth.

A brown-haired woman leaned over a small grave, clutching a bucket of wildflowers. She placed them on the mound of dirt and bowed before the stone. It was unmarked, but the woman knew well to whom it belonged.

_It has been six months since your death._

The woman sighed sadly. Her chocolate eyes had tears in them.

_I miss you._

She looked up. A dark fringe shadowed her eyes, and there were tearstains on her cheeks.

"Houshi-sama," the woman said, "thank you."

She smiled.

"I have found happiness, houshi-sama, and I owe it all to you."

Her hands reached out and her fingertips grazed the stone.

"I left the group soon after your death." She sniffed back tears. "It was too painful. I went with Sesshoumaru, and he has treated me well." The woman wiped her eyes. "Do Kagome-chan and the others visit you often? I have not been in touch with them."

"Sango."

The woman glanced up. She looked behind her and gave a half-smile when she saw who it was, and turned back to the grave.

"I must go," Sango said to Miroku's grave. "But I will be back."

Bending forward, she bestowed a kiss upon the cold stone and stood. "I love you," she said softly, and smiled sorrowfully.

She walked away to where a demon with long silver hair, maroon strips on his cheeks, and a blue crescent moon on his forehead was waiting. He clasped her hand and looked back toward the grave. A small inclination of the head was all he offered, but he had never been one to show emotion.

A little human girl in a bright kimono and dark hair with a single pigtail poking out of the top of it appeared. She was smiling broadly, a cheery, toothy smile. A toad-like creature hurried after her, and ended up bumping into her back. She turned around and threw her arms around the green imp, much to the demon's horror.

He cried out and tried to push her off him to no avail. He groaned and gave up. "Rin, you insufferable bother!" the imp screeched.

"Jaken-sama!" the girl squeaked merrily.

Sango's eyes twinkled in merriment and she boldly wrapped her arms around the youkai's middle. He stiffened, and flushed. She laughed and teased him about it.

He snapped at her and she only laughed more.

"Sesshoumaru," she said, "relax. Blushing is not a crime."

"Blushing is for humans, and more specifically, women. Like you," he said stubbornly.

Sango pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest. She let out an indignant noise and stuck her nose in the air.

"Besides," Sesshoumaru said, leaning in closer, his amber eyes narrowing, "I like it when you blush."

Sango's face reddened terribly and she buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Rin watched with interest and amusement as the two bonded. Jaken turned away. He did not like this woman, or the way his lord acted around her.

As if hearing his companion's thoughts, Sesshoumaru pulled away from Sango and booted Jaken in the head with one shiny black shoe.

Sango and Rin tittered; they couldn't help but be highly amused.

And so Sango and Sesshoumaru walked off hand in hand, closely followed by Rin and Jaken, who was grumbling and rubbing his head, out of the graveyard, out of that village, and into the woods: into their ever changing home.


End file.
